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Articles from the Reviews section
enCage The Elephant - Tell Me I’m Prettyhttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/cage-the-elephant-tell-me-i%E2%80%99m-pretty
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/12144136_1246548868695689_1859560744_n_0.jpg?itok=IV_MGGVh"><a href="/reviews/cage-the-elephant-tell-me-i%E2%80%99m-pretty"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/12144136_1246548868695689_1859560744_n_0.jpg?itok=IV_MGGVh" width="628" height="628" alt="Tell Me I&#039;m Pretty" title="Tell Me I&#039;m Pretty" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-subtitle field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Hardly a boundary-breaker...</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>When <strong>Cage the Elephant</strong> emerged from Kentucky in 2008, they were never going to break boundaries. Their eponymous same-year debut took elements of blues and classic rock and infused them with the rich southern flavours of their native state. In comparison, their second album harboured a woozy, college rock vibe reminiscent of The Pixies, but in short, neither had given fans a real taste of the band's true personality, just a hint of it beneath a layer of aesthetic appropriation.</p>
<p>Third album 'Melophobia', however, was a concerted effort from the band to not just exhibit their own sound, but to find it as well. It was their first real critical success, and showed Cage the Elephant not as genre chameleons they were becoming known as, but as more than competent musicians in their own right.</p>
<p>It's disappointing then, that fourth effort 'Tell Me I'm Pretty' follows in a similar, albeit weaker vein to that third album. The dripping-in-fuzz, garage rock duality of opening pair ('Cry Baby' and 'Mess Around' respectively) suggest the touch of producer/Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach might be all too ubiquitous, a fear that thankfully proves unfounded, whilst fourth track 'Too Late To Say Goodbye' follows a similar sing-song rhythm to Hozier's 'Take Me To Church', something which can't be unheard.</p>
<p>It's not just the reappearance of easy comparisons that's disappointing however. In their bid to capture the essence of their bluesy, garage rock, Cage the Elephant have effectively managed to lose the quirky personality they once had, and whilst 'Tell Me I'm Pretty' is far from a homogeneous record, the tracks do have a tendency to bleed into one another, particularly on repeat listens.</p>
<p>Fortunately, there are a handful of obvious highlights too. The '60s pop of 'Cold Cold Cold' is nothing short of excellent, and following cut 'Trouble' harks back to the stoned melodies of 'Melophobia', or even further back to singles like 'Aberdeen'. No matter the quality though, they still feel like token gestures in an otherwise average album.</p>
<p>Of course, this could well be the sound of Cage the Elephant growing up and building on the foundations they laid with 'Melophobia' - all but leaving behind their first two records. With that in mind, 'Tell Me I'm Pretty' could, in theory, be viewed as the band's “difficult second album” and for that, we can forgive them for their transgressions. Sort of.</p>
<p><strong>5/10</strong></p>
<p>Words: <strong>Dave Beech</strong></p>
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</div></div></div>Wed, 23 Dec 2015 10:10:57 +0000Dave Beech87897 at https://www.clashmusic.comhttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/cage-the-elephant-tell-me-i%E2%80%99m-pretty#commentsIbibio Sound Machine - Doko Mienhttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/ibibio-sound-machine-doko-mien
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/a1880834563_10.jpg?itok=GX5lAwP3"><a href="/reviews/ibibio-sound-machine-doko-mien"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/a1880834563_10.jpg?itok=GX5lAwP3" width="628" height="628" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-subtitle field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">A deep-dive into their afro-funk odyssey...</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Listening to London collective<strong> Ibibio Sound System</strong> has always been an immersive and invigorating experience, but on their third album ‘Doko Mien’, the eight piece wonders are heading deeper into their funk odyssey than ever before.</p>
<p>While the music loses nothing in its thrilling Afro-electro rhythms and horn flecked grooves, this time it’s delivered with an increased universality as Ibibio Sound System broaden out their lyrical approach to be more direct and questioning, addressing their own community as well as the world at large.</p>
<p>“Guess we found a way to speak to you,” sings frontwoman Eno Williams on highlight ‘Guess We Found A Way’, and, indeed, the band’s connection with the audience is stronger than ever. Built on the foundations of storming bangers like ‘I Need You To Be Sweet Like Sugar’ and comforting electro lullabies like ‘I Will Run’, Ibibio Sound Machine show they can do it all.</p>
<p><strong>8/10</strong></p>
<p>Words: <strong>Martyn Young </strong></p>
<p><strong>Dig It? Dig Deeper:</strong> The Very Best, The Comet Is Coming, Songhoy Blues</p>
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</div></div></div>Thu, 21 Mar 2019 11:37:15 +0000ClashMusic106317 at https://www.clashmusic.comhttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/ibibio-sound-machine-doko-mien#commentsThese New Puritans - Inside The Rosehttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/these-new-puritans-inside-the-rose
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/These%20New%20Puritans%20-%20Inside%20The%20Rose%20-%20art.jpg?itok=y2c4h0ij"><a href="/reviews/these-new-puritans-inside-the-rose"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/These%20New%20Puritans%20-%20Inside%20The%20Rose%20-%20art.jpg?itok=y2c4h0ij" width="628" height="628" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-subtitle field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">A mixed but intensely creative return...</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Recorded in an industrial, unsparing bit of Berlin, ‘Inside the Rose’ is beloved English eccentrics <strong>These New Puritans'</strong> first release in six years.</p>
<p>It quickly emerges as their most direct and focused work yet, which at its best is immensely powerful but whose sheer force does lend itself to a certain indistinctness. It’s high on drama, as on ‘Anti–Gravity’ and ‘Beyond Black Suns’, with that ever-so insistent bass drum and on which Jack Barnett reassumes his position as contemporary music’s king of the spectral drawl. Opener ‘Infinity Vibraphones’ trembles expectantly with nervous tension, thought it’s not a stygian affair despite its refrain of “let’s go away to the underworld”. At the other end, ‘Six’ is a fragment of tip-toeing beauty.</p>
<p>‘Inside The Rose’ manages to pull off the feat of being at once calculated, carefully programmed and sounding ‘natural’. In fact, it was occasionally dreamed (‘Where the Trees Are on Fire’). Rarely does it feel extraneous. Instead, it’s quite homogeneous, with certain timbres popping up again and again, underpinned by George Barnett’s commanding drumwork. This single-mindedness coincides with the group becoming a duo again.</p>
<p>Whilst they might sometimes be held to an evocation of a sort of Essex eeriness, of reeds, marshes, and, here, fire and will-o’-the-wisps, this feels more rootless. What presides, the sexual metaphor of the title aside, is a constant thread of escape, demands to “take me far away” or simply “accelerate”, “into the black forever” on ‘Into The Fire’. Basically, what you’d expect given they’ve mentioned the kind of Serious Art that transcends and challenges its time – “Tarkovsky, Bacon and Blake” etc.</p>
<p>If you had to make comparisons, you might say it’s a bit like Coil or Current 93 (the title track features some spoken word from David Tibet), a bit Depeche Mode-y and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/feb/26/musicians-on-mark-hollis-he-found-hooks-in-places-im-still-trying-to-fathom"><u><strong>Talk Talk-y</strong></u></a>. But the Barnett twins’ musical universe is ultimately quite a hermetic one which escapes facile categorisation.</p>
<p>Accordingly, a line from ‘A–R–P’ sticks out: “let this music be a kind of a paradise, a kind of nightmare, a kind of I don’t care...” </p>
<p><strong>7/10 </strong></p>
<p>Words: <strong>Wilf Skinner </strong></p>
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</div></div></div>Thu, 21 Mar 2019 11:28:15 +0000ClashMusic106316 at https://www.clashmusic.comhttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/these-new-puritans-inside-the-rose#commentsStephen Malkmus - Groove Deniedhttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/stephen-malkmus-groove-denied
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/Groove%20Denied.jpg?itok=6JSxZnh2"><a href="/reviews/stephen-malkmus-groove-denied"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/Groove%20Denied.jpg?itok=6JSxZnh2" width="628" height="628" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-subtitle field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">An indie-rock icon’s adventures in post-punk and synth-pop…</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>The campaign for ‘Groove Denied’ – the first proper solo album from <strong>Stephen Malkmus</strong> – was announced with a series of gleefully anachronistic portraits of a smirking Malkmus, variously in bolo tie, aviators, a puffy-sleeved shirt, in front of a grim background de rigueur for ‘80s school photos. There were shades of New Romanticism and a cowboy vibe too. Was it an idea of what to expect, of what it’d sound like? Not exactly.</p>
<p>The story goes that he’d been working on these tracks at home, in Berlin and Portland, submitted them to Matador who then decided it’d be best to release ‘Sparkle Hard’ first (market forces etc) but ‘Groove Denied’ is not an offcut. Much of it is actually classic Malkmus – droll, improvised lyricism and sinuous, catchy melodies – with a few added quirks.</p>
<p>The record’s first three tracks are warped and synth-driven, exhibiting a fondness for mucking about with DAWs. The largely instrumental ‘Belzinger Faceplant’ and ‘A Bit Wilder’ have far more in common with post-punk and dark-edged synth-pop than the tiresome country-tinged jams found on certain albums Malkmus made with the <strong>Jicks</strong> – his first post-<strong>Pavement </strong>project.</p>
<p>Lead single ‘Viktor Borgia’ is perhaps the most radical departure and would’ve unnerved the kind of fans who talked through a Jicks set until the Pavement numbers were rolled out. And it’s also the most in-line with what some anticipated, something more manifestly electronica-influenced.</p>
<p>But with the exception of eminently skippable ‘Forget Your Place’, the rest of ‘Groove Denied’ should be more familiar: the trebly, hummable ‘Come Get Me’, blithe flashback to uni ‘Rushing The Acid Frat’, the woozy guitar of ‘Grown Nothing’. The intro to ‘Love The Door’ is fairly bonkers but quickly segues into that that by now well-known blend of swagger (groove) and spideriness (riff).</p>
<p>The lyrical framework in which he operates is fairly supple and improvisatory, though there are some surprisingly tender lines here and there. Structures and voicings are stripped back but viscid synths and odd, glitchy effects whir in the background.</p>
<p>Whereas on ‘Terror Twilight’ (Pavement’s final LP) some of this might’ve felt phoned in, a bit extraneous, here it feels natural precisely because it’s done on Malkmus’s own terms.</p>
<p><strong>7/10</strong></p>
<p>Words:<strong> Wilf Skinner</strong></p>
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</div></div></div>Thu, 21 Mar 2019 09:24:47 +0000ClashMusic106309 at https://www.clashmusic.comhttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/stephen-malkmus-groove-denied#commentsNilüfer Yanya - Miss Universe https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/nil%C3%BCfer-yanya-miss-universe
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/a3000925895_10.jpg?itok=3VswrgCz"><a href="/reviews/nil%C3%BCfer-yanya-miss-universe"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/a3000925895_10.jpg?itok=3VswrgCz" width="628" height="628" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-subtitle field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Innovative and striking, this record explores the personal and makes it universal…</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Singer-songwriter <strong>Nilüfer Yanya</strong> has come a long way since she started uploading tracks to Soundcloud five years ago. The Londoner has been writing music in her head since she was six, and writing on the guitar since 12, and now at 23 she continues to work with a self-assured autonomy, refusing to let hype or pressure tip her balance. This inner confidence forms the backbone of her debut album: a work tightly-cluttered with ambition and a knack for elevated hooks, a showcase for multi-disciplinary song writing.</p>
<p>An enduring, overriding anxiety about modern life also runs through the record, projecting a dystopian, technological paranoia, but – weirdly – ‘Miss Universe’ is not sinister. In fact, a large chunk of its creative genius is rooted Yanya’s authentic, very human, DIY ethics and attitude, in her vivacious presence and mesmeric exuberance.</p>
<p>Part of this exuberance is an infectious, chirpy passion for pop music. But it’s not pop of the formulaic, fabricated, conveyor belt type; no, it is innovative and striking pop euphoria. The vibrant, pulsing opener ‘In Your Head’ plays with elements of alt-rock and grunge, while eerie, automated messages from WWayHealth – an imagined health management company – cleverly thread core themes through a musically diverse project.</p>
<p>Yanya brings unexpected sonic vibes on ‘Melt’, with its cacophony of brass instruments – inspired by a festival experience – and her <strong>Sade</strong>-like vocals and jazzy electro-pop atmospherics of ‘Baby Blue’ work intrinsic wonders. On a different end of the emotional spectrum, the soothing facets of ‘Safety Net’ explores the importance of just being, and accepting, oneself, while with concluding track ‘Heavyweight Champion of the Year’ Yanya addresses reaching inner limits, her own ‘metaphorical bar’.</p>
<p>The singer-songwriter has created an astoundingly original piece of work; every track sends shivers down the spine, but hitting different vertebrae - sometimes the impact is measured and controlled, others it’s shocking and bold. Using her otherworldly, but very human, backdrop Yanya tackles the modern collective experience from an individual perspective - ‘Miss Universe’ is an intimate record full of personal fears and emotions, but these are of wider, universal relevance. They should resonate with us all.</p>
<p><strong>9/10 </strong></p>
<p>Words:<strong> Susan Hansen</strong></p>
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</div></div></div>Wed, 20 Mar 2019 17:16:07 +0000ClashMusic106302 at https://www.clashmusic.comhttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/nil%C3%BCfer-yanya-miss-universe#commentsJenny Lewis - On The Linehttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/jenny-lewis-on-the-line
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/JL.jpg?itok=KaGf8FSH"><a href="/reviews/jenny-lewis-on-the-line"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/JL.jpg?itok=KaGf8FSH" width="628" height="628" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-subtitle field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">“Deceptively adroit alt-country with a keen eye for a killer hook”…</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>“This is how you do Americana.” Even before the dissolution of <strong>Rilo Kiley</strong> half a decade ago, front woman <strong>Jenny Lewis</strong> had established herself as a solo artist in her own right. ‘On The Line’ is her fourth album as an individual performer, and her first since 2014’s warmly affecting ‘The Voyager’.</p>
<p>She doesn’t deviate too far from the path she’s firmly established for herself – deceptively adroit alt-country with a keen eye for a killer hook – but there seems little incentive for her to stray too far. After all, you wouldn’t admonish a baker for the quality of their roast dinner.</p>
<p>In particular, previous single ‘Heads Gonna Roll’ displays the kind of songwriting nous an entire generation of artists would kill for.</p>
<p>Occasionally, the lyrics wander into cliché but for the most part, it’s a strong addition to a stellar body of work and another welcome showing from one of music’s most consistent and underrated performers.</p>
<p><strong>7/10</strong></p>
<p>Words: <strong>Joe Rivers</strong></p>
<p>Dig It? Dig Deeper: <strong>Neko Case, M. Ward, Lucinda Williams </strong></p>
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</div></div></div>Tue, 19 Mar 2019 20:14:05 +0000ClashMusic106275 at https://www.clashmusic.comhttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/jenny-lewis-on-the-line#commentsDevlin - The Outcasthttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/devlin-the-outcast
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/Devlin%20The%20Outcast.jpg?itok=747uzKKE"><a href="/reviews/devlin-the-outcast"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/Devlin%20The%20Outcast.jpg?itok=747uzKKE" width="628" height="628" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-subtitle field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">“One of the strongest, and purest, grime projects in years”...</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>As the title implies, <strong>Devlin </strong>has spent most of his career never quite being fully embraced.</p>
<p>Although he is a favourite amongst the grime scene's core fan base and its creators (<strong>Wiley </strong>once called him the greatest grime MC), he’s never broken into the mainstream the way many predicted. His first album – ‘Bud, Sweat and Beers’ – dropped in 2010, when grime was still polarised between poppy mainstream acts and the staunchly underground. It was successful but didn't lead to the stardom it arguably deserved – maybe because it didn’t fit into either lane. </p>
<p>Two albums and nine years later, the Dagenham MC returns to a very different landscape. Where his previous work had moments that pandered to radio audiences, this time the rapper has been released from those creative shackles…and in doing so has produced an undiluted barrage of intensity.</p>
<p>From the get go, Devlin taps into his core energy with opening track 'Pirate', an homage to the pirate radio sets on which all the great grime MCs honed their abilities. What follows is an uninterrupted flow of incredible instrumentals that Devlin just tears apart.</p>
<p>He sounds free and liberated, and these tracks aren't simply the MC flexing his ability: on early highlight 'Limelight' the melancholic beat allows him to reflect back on his career and plot his course forward, speaking on both his insecurities and strengths. </p>
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<p>The project reaches peak intensity with the one-two of 'Grime Scene Killer' followed by 'Live In The Booth', both of which again show the lyrical prowess of the veteran MC and solidify the album as one of the strongest, and purest, grime projects in years.</p>
<p>Perhaps one criticism of this project could be that it lacks a diversity of styles, but when the tracks are executed to this level it really seems shortsighted to complain. This is what Devlin does, and he does it better than practically everyone. </p>
<p>The album comes to a close with another electrifying set of bangers, with the <strong>Ghetts</strong>-featuring 'Triton' being one of the many high points. The two Movement MCs bounce off each other, with the chemistry and clear competition between the two elevating the track.</p>
<p>'The Outcast' is the sound of an artist with no constraints, and who is close to completely mastering their craft. It's definitely up there with Wiley's 'Godfather' and <strong>P Money</strong>'s 'Live + Direct' as one of the best pure grime albums to be released in recent years, and without doubt Devlin's strongest outing. </p>
<p><strong>8/10</strong></p>
<p>Words: <strong>Will Rosebury</strong></p>
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</div></div></div>Mon, 18 Mar 2019 17:04:46 +0000ClashMusic106246 at https://www.clashmusic.comhttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/devlin-the-outcast#commentsClever Austin - Pareidoliahttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/clever-austin-pareidolia
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/Clever%20Austin.jpg?itok=H7xk1RAa"><a href="/reviews/clever-austin-pareidolia"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/Clever%20Austin.jpg?itok=H7xk1RAa" width="628" height="628" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-subtitle field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">“Shape-shifting, jazzy, soul-inflected hip-hop”… </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><strong>Clever Austin</strong> is the nom de plume of Perrin Moss who – when not drumming with <strong>Hiatus Kaiyote</strong> – turns his hand to shape-shifting, jazzy, soul-inflected hip-hop.</p>
<p>After a series of beat tapes, this is his first full-length project, and the first release between South London tastemakers Touching Bass and Melbourne label Wondercore Island.</p>
<p>It’s free of precocity but does initially feel a bit fragmented. Yet it’s precisely in this multiplicity that ‘Pareidolia’ – the name given to the perception of familiar patterns in random, inanimate things – finds its strength.</p>
<p>It veers between forceful, futurist hip-hop and whacked out grooves, mostly underpinned by Moss’s fiddly and unashamedly flashy percussion. From the throb and lightness of the opening few tracks to the frenzy of ‘Dime Head’ and ‘Hedgehog’, he casts his net admirably wide.</p>
<p>There are a few lulls, but guest slots offer a renewed sense of focus, with <strong>Georgia Anne Muldrow</strong> on cosmic ‘You Are All You Need’ and <strong>Jon Bap</strong> on assured headnodder ‘Blue Tongue’.</p>
<p>Found sounds and birdsong (it sounds like an aviary at times) might feel a bit tacked-on given the sheer primacy of Moss’s percussive frameworks but help to bring what’s otherworldly back down to earth. It’s at once a woozy and strangely insistent soundtrack to late-night city living.</p>
<p><strong>7/10</strong></p>
<p>Words: <strong>Wilf Skinner</strong></p>
<p>Dig it? Dig deeper: <strong>Flying Lotus, J Dilla, Sun Ra</strong></p>
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</div></div></div>Mon, 18 Mar 2019 15:44:18 +0000ClashMusic106241 at https://www.clashmusic.comhttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/clever-austin-pareidolia#commentsShy FX - Raggamuffin Soundtapehttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/shy-fx-raggamuffin-soundtape
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/142609-raggamuffin-soundtape.jpg?itok=_U2Zpp6Y"><a href="/reviews/shy-fx-raggamuffin-soundtape"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/142609-raggamuffin-soundtape.jpg?itok=_U2Zpp6Y" width="628" height="628" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-subtitle field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">An enormously creative return from the soundsystem legend...</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>British DJ <strong>Shy FX </strong>just dropped his latest mix tape 'Raggamuffin Soundtape' and boy, is it packed. With 15 staggering tracks ‘Raggamuffin Soundtape’ is miraculously opened by the short but sweet ‘Intro.’ Progressing in electronic glitches, this ten second snack introduces the album with immediate speculation of what’s to come. </p>
<p>Second track ‘Call Me’ features soothing vocal delivery from the R&amp;B/soul singer Maverick Sabre. Chopped and screwed in tropical house beats, this cut exceeds our expectations as the follow up of the opening teaser. Although mixed with next to no lyrics, Maverick’s nonchalant vocal technique glides us through the vibrant house bop.</p>
<p>Summer vibe ‘Carnival Culture’ opens with classical string and pipe arrangements as it remasters Shy FX’s jungle phenomenon ‘Original Nuttah.’ Track-listed as another short cut, ‘Carnival Culture’ has a fruity vibe that quickly chops into spoken word from FX. Returning grime legend Ghetts links with alternative rapper Kojey Records on one of the albums most popular tracks ‘Bad After We.’ Having already dropped this song earlier in the month, Shy FX fans went wild when they heard about his Ghetts feature, but went wilder when they heard the cut.</p>
<p>Title track ‘Raggamuffin’ features Mr. Dz steadily judders ride-along, hook-ridden lyrics. Contrasting this are the rhythmically and lyrically nonchalant cuts, such as ‘Rudeboy lovesong,’ and ‘Badboy Business.’ ‘Rudeboy Lovesong’ loops a footwork of tranquil, mechanic beats, and is complimented further by a vocal feature from Cara Delevigne. ‘Badboy Business’ however fluctuates in vibrant, vocal techniques; the tame delivery from singer Kate Stewart is blended fluently with speed-rap lyrics from Mr. Williamz – exhilarating a fiery adrenaline.</p>
<p>‘Raggamuffin Soundtape’ as a mixtape is many things to say the least, a concoction of eclectic sounds, this piece explores psychedelic bass lines, with a touch of grime, a splash of soul and jungle-meets-house beats. Shy FX’s first full-produced mixtape in 15 years, ‘Raggamuffin…’ is a clear representation of the artists growth.</p>
<p>The penultimate track opens with a distorted, guitar reverb sounding like Mexican standoff music fitting of a Spaghetti Western. As the prominent plucks on bass progress with depth, tempo and volume - a spin of sturdy drum ‘n’n bass takes over. 15 years, 15 artists, and 15 tracks deep, ‘Raggamuffin Soundtape’ concludes with the short but sweet ten second ‘Outro.’ A superb album of militant double drops, poetic lyrics, and fruitful reggaeton.</p>
<p><strong>8/10 </strong></p>
<p>Words: <strong>Laviea Thomas </strong></p>
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</div></div></div>Fri, 15 Mar 2019 13:29:53 +0000ClashMusic106211 at https://www.clashmusic.comhttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/shy-fx-raggamuffin-soundtape#commentsSensible Soccers - Aurorahttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/sensible-soccers-aurora
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/Rfj7CLJs_400x400.png?itok=QSwaOLqD"><a href="/reviews/sensible-soccers-aurora"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_feature/public/field/image/Rfj7CLJs_400x400.png?itok=QSwaOLqD" width="400" height="400" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-subtitle field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">An intoxicating full length project from the Portuguese group...</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Portuguese music is going through a renaissance. A slew of musicians and performers are redefining the musical stereotypes and sound of the country.</p>
<p>One of these bands is <strong>Sensible Soccers</strong>. This trio manages to combine electronic elements with guitars to create something vibrant, exciting and different, whilst keeping it listenable and incredibly catchy.</p>
<p>The first time we crossed paths was at a festival in Lisbon, and since then we’ve been firm musical friends. On their third album ‘Aurora’ Sensible Soccers hit a sweet spot and manage to surpass their previous albums, no small feat, and deliver something that demands repeat listens without revealing all its secrets immediately.</p>
<p>Opening track ‘Como Quem Pinta’ opens with a broody melodic bassline and warming cascading synths. It is a gentle welcome. It says to us: “It doesn’t matter if you are a long-time fan or a first time listener; we’re going to ease you in gently...”</p>
<p>Suddenly some stark keyboards cut through the comforting mood. This is a reminder that Sensible Soccers aren’t just an airy, ethereal, band. Half way through a flute kicks in and takes everything up a notch. As it whispers and sways it conjures up memories of half-forgotten holidays and daytrips in the sun.</p>
<p>But this is the point of the album. Instead of writing about tangible stories of love, loss and redemption, Sensible Soccers have decided to write about memories, and more importantly, fragmented memories. The kind of memories where you remember the places, but everything is awash in bright white light. Family summer holidays to Spain, or school trips to France.</p>
<p>This gives the songs a lurid, dreamlike quality and makes repeat listens more of a soundtrack through the subconscious than a feel good party album. ‘Farra Lenta’ starts off with the same dreamy vibes, but in the final third everything gets ratcheted up as melancholy guitars and delicate synths are supplanted by throbbing basslines and hard beats, giving ‘Farra Lenta’ a Balearic sunset patio party vibe.</p>
<p>The holiday party mood continues with ‘Elias Katana’. Here the band embrace the party mood and just let rip. The beats start almost immediately, but this isn’t ‘aving it large in the Costa del Sol, its slight more subdued and civilised. This is what might be played through a hidden PA system on a veranda while a delicious dinner is served.</p>
<p>After large cocktails with immense decorations and floral arrangements are brought out before a night of club hopping, and the real carnage, begins. The album closes with ‘Telas Na Areia’. Opening with a gentle bassline that guides the listener through delicate keyboards and synths. These subtle motifs and undulating rhythms are a bookend, or act as a companion piece, to ‘Como Quem Pinta’.</p>
<p>The album feels like it’s gone full circle and ends where it started. With dreamy synths and woozy basslines. ‘Aurora’ is an album that demands repeat listens. It is full of luscious rhythms and exquisite melodies. As the feel good motifs bubble and swish around you, there is a surging rhythm section that keeps everything moving forward.</p>
<p>The band has a rare talent to make you totally get what they are feeling without saying anything. As the music is almost entirely instrumental it’s easy to get lost in its twists and turns, but the music doesn’t bog us down with overly complicated ideas and themes, instead each song is built on a firm foundation of a few clever and inventive hooks that slowly grow and mutate as it progresses until you are faced with a full on beast of neon vibes and translucent refrains.</p>
<p>Throughout ‘Aurora’ Sensible Soccers show immense restraint from turning everything into a full on rager and ‘Telas Na Areia’. There are times when you feel they are going to let rip, but instead they throw in another hypnotic bassline, or guitar riff. And this is why the album works so well. Just when you think you have the song sussed they change it slightly and take you somewhere unexpected.</p>
<p>Whether this is the first time you’ve heard of Sensible Soccers or you’ve been around since their debut, ‘Aurora’ is captivating albums that can make even the bleakest rainy days feel a little warmer and fuzzy.</p>
<p><strong>8/10 </strong></p>
<p>Words: <strong>Nick Roseblade</strong></p>
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<p><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1499561724/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;"><a href="http://sensiblesoccers.bandcamp.com/album/aurora">Aurora by Sensible Soccers</a></iframe></p>
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</div></div></div>Fri, 15 Mar 2019 11:09:36 +0000ClashMusic106205 at https://www.clashmusic.comhttps://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/sensible-soccers-aurora#comments